


The Infested

by Aaerial15



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22441513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaerial15/pseuds/Aaerial15
Summary: Tobias, presumed dead. Jake, Cassie, Marco & Ax, made into controllers. The Animorphs wandered into a trap. Now Rachel must find a way to rescue her friends before she is captured and all is lost.
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**The Infested  
**

**An Animorphs Fan Fic  
**

_Author's Note: I do not own the characters in this story, just the situations involved. All characters are the property of K.A. Applegate.  
_

My name is Rachel. I can't tell you my last name. I probably shouldn't have told you my first name. See, right now the Earth is being invaded. Now, I know what you're thinking. If the Earth were being invaded, it would be on t.v. It's not that kind of war. There's a race of slug-like aliens called Yeerks. They invade your mind. And then they take control. They could be anyone. Your teacher at school. The policeman on the corner. Your parents could be the enemy and you'd never know it. That is the reason for all the secrecy.

It doesn't help matters that right now, I am on the run from four of my friends. We were all that stood against them. I'll never forget that night. We were ordinary teenagers, probably like you. Everything changed when we went through the construction site. It was there that we received the only weapon we have to fight the yeerks. It was there we received the power to morph.

Animorphs, we called ourselves. Jake, my cousin and our fearless leader. Marco, his best friend. Cassie, my best friend. Tobias, a kid we barely knew. Soon after, we rescued another alien, an Andalite named Ax. The Andalites fight the Yeerks. They possess the morphing power. It was Ax's brother, Elfangor who gave us our power. Ax rounded our group to six. We'd been through so much. Who knew it would all come crashing down.

It had been a mission of necessity. We had received word that Visser Three, leader of the Yeerk invasion had a dangerous new plan. Our only allies, the Chee had informed us that the yeerks were planning on infesting the school board. The details were sketchy, but we knew we couldn't let the Yeerks take that kind of control. Erek King, a Chee, had told us that Visser Three's plan was to make joining The Sharing required.

The Sharing is a front for the Yeerks. On the outside, it looks like a co-ed scout organization. It's actually one of their main methods of recruiting hosts. Jake's brother, Tom is a member. He is also a high ranking human controller. A controller is someone who has a Yeerk in their head. They like to recruit people voluntarily, but they have no problem either way.

Anyway, we had no idea how the Yeerks planned on taking over the school board, so it was decided that we had to infiltrate Hell, itself. We had to infiltrate the Yeerk pool. See, in their natural state, Yeerks are slugs. Every three days, they have to leave their hosts to soak up Kandrona rays, or they die. They do this by swimming in pools that replicate their home planet's sun. They had also upgraded security. We had caused the Yeerks serious damage since we'd received our powers. Most of the time, though, we were just lucky to escape with our lives.

Unfortunately, this time the Yeerks were ready for us. We found and entrance that wasn't guarded by a Gleet Bio-filter. We figured we'd morph insects to do some recon. And towards that end, the mission began without a hitch. As soon as we entered, we realized that there was sufficient cover where we were to demorph. Tobias was even able to fly through unnoticed. Or so we thought.

As soon as he flew by, he was spotted by Visser Three himself. <Andalite!> he roared in thought-speak. Instantly, Tobias was a target for dracon beams. <Guys! Help!> he said in our heads. "Okay, battle morphs," Jake ordered. As he began to morph to tiger, a stray dracon beam destroyed our cover. I barely made it to fly. The rest of my friends weren't so lucky. They had been exposed to the Yeerks as humans. <Well, well, what have we here?> Visser Three's cruel voice rang through our heads. I could only watch as my friends were surrounded by Hork-Bajir.

<AHHH!> A thought speak voice sounded in my head. But not just anyone. Tobias! I silently cursed. Visser Three laughed. <That should be the end of your hawk friend!> he sneered. Jake sent a knowing look to Ax. <Prince Jake says run, Rachel!> So they knew I hadn't been seen. <Not a chance!> I shot back. <I sense a promotion coming.> Visser Three gloated. I could do nothing as my friends were led to the Yeerk pool.


	2. Dire Consequences

**Ch.2 Dire Consequences**

If I were in my human body, I would have been trembling in fear. I hadn't heard anything since Tobias screamed. I was sure he was dead. And to make matters worse, I got a front row seat to watch my friends be made into controllers. Jake had told me to run, but it wasn't gonna happen. If there was a chance to free them, it was up to me. If I ran, I alone would be responsible for dooming my species. My fly eyes struggled to piece the scene together. Seeing is a bit different with compound eyes. Instead of one solid picture, I saw pieces of the same picture.

What I saw, I wished I could un-see. Jake, Cassie, Marco and Ax each had three Hork-Bajir guarding them. There was no way they could go to battle morphs. They'd be cut down at the slightest flinch. <Tobias!> I yelled in thought-speak. I had to hope he was ok. <If you can hear me, get out of here!> There was no response, which fueled the despair threatening to overtake me. My attention came back to the scene before me.

My friends had been forced on to the infestation pier. Andalites don't have mouths, but I swear I could see Visser Three smiling as he viewed the proceedings. Cassie was first in line, and she shot him a defiant glare that made me think I was watching myself. "No matter what you do, we will still resist you," she said. She didn't tell the Visser that this wouldn't be her first time being infested by a Yeerk. Not that it mattered. He laughed in my head. <That's where you're wrong. The only freedom you'll ever know again will be in the special holding cells I'm having made as we speak.> Cassie struggled as she was drug closer to the edge. "Never surrender!" she yelled. Visser Three made a slight gesture. <Ladies first, my dear,> he gloated.

I wanted to morph to grizzly bear and kill him where he stood. Cassie was forced to her knees and her head made contact with the sludge that the Yeerks swam in. After a brief moment, she stood on her own power. Except it wasn't. I could only imagine her screaming as the Yeerk took over. Outwardly, she appeared to be the same Cassie. But I knew different. Even as far away as I was, I could tell that something was not right. Her guards moved to guard Ax, who had begun fighting. <Come on, Ax, escape!> I cheered. It was hopeless. He had six Hork-Bajir on him. One of them injected him with something.

<That's a new drug we've been working on. It paralyzes troublesome hosts so we can take them with minimal damage.> Visser Three explained. Ax seemed to go limp, and had to be supported by his guards. Cassie smiled gleefully. I wish I could forget what she said. "Welcome to the Yeerk Empire." It was her voice. But the tone was definitely not Cassie's. She stepped to the side as they forced Jake forward. The process repeated for the rest of my friends.

I realized then the gravity of the situation. By infesting Jake, the Yeerks would learn every secret. The war was practically over in that moment. They would learn about the Chee, who worked covertly to fight them. As the Chee were pacifists, they would have no chance. The Yeerks would make mincemeat of them. They would also learn the location of the free Hork-Bajir colony. Visser Three's booming thought-speak voice brought me out of my thoughts. <Is that all of you?> he questioned my former friends. Marco stepped forward. "No, Visser." My stomach dropped at the coldness of his voice. "Rachel, come join us," Jake said.

I realized it was time to retreat. <No way, I think I'll pass!> I said in public thought-speak. Visser Three was livid. <GET HER!> he roared as I flew out of there. I managed to escape as dracon beams flew in my direction. I was glad that I was a small target, but now I needed to morph something that could actually get distance. I landed in a dumpster and demorphed. I heard Marco's voice and quickly pulled the cover shut.

"Come out, Xena." It sickened me to my stomach, hearing the Yeerk refer to me with Marco's nickname. What was a joke between the two of us was now a cruel mockery. I kept silent. As footsteps approached, I could feel my heartbeat quicken. It didn't surprise me, he almost seemed to know I was in the dumpster. Any of us probably would have hid there. I suppressed a scream as I heard the loud bang of Marco kicking it. "You know, you should give yourself up. You'll be reunited with your family."

How could I be so stupid? Of course the Yeerks would go after my family. Jake was my cousin, after all. I kept my mouth shut. I knew the Yeerk was trying to bait me into revealing myself. Getting no answer, I heard the footsteps as he departed. I had to get to my house before the Yeerks did. There was no way I was letting them be taken.


	3. Confrontation at Rachel's House

**Ch.3 Confrontation at Rachel's House**

There was no time to waste. I had to get home, and fast. The only way the Yeerks would be infesting my mother and sisters was over my dead body. I morphed to seagull and took off. For all I knew, I was too late. The Yeerks weren't famous for delaying when it came to this. The ten minutes I spent flying to my house seemed to last an eternity. None of us had ever faced the situation I was in. It would be hard enough to fight one of us, but I had to deal with four. Any random bug, any animal I saw on the ground could be one of my friends in morph. 

The good news, if there was any, was that I didn't see any signs of the Yeerks when I got to my house. It was lucky that everyone was home, because my sisters had the day off from school. I demorphed in the backyard and hopped the fence. My mother opened the front door just as I hit the ground. "Rachel, is there some reason you're jumping fences?" she asked, a mix of concern and annoyance in her voice. "Get inside, quick!" I ordered. She opened her mouth to lecture me, but I cut her off. Now wasn't the time. "Don't argue, just go!"

I closed the door behind us, and locked it shut. All the while, my mother stared. "Are Jordan and Sara home?" I asked. My mother hesitated, not knowing what to think of my behavior. I got the answer to my question as Jordan came downstairs. "What's wrong, Rachel, are you mad at us?" Her voice was almost breaking. "No, sis." There wasn't time for this. We could have seconds, if not minutes before the Yeerks came knocking.

I quickly locked the back door as my mother followed me. "Rachel honey, are you in some kind of trouble?" I had to reason with my mother. "Look, I promise I'll explain everything. But right now, you need to get upstairs with the girls. Do you trust me?" My mother wasted no time. "Of course I trust you, I'm just worried. You're not acting like yourself." If she only knew. I heard the screeching halt of several tires. That could only mean one thing. The Yeerks were here.

I began the change to grizzly bear. It was my favorite battle morph. My mother nearly fainted as she witnessed my transformation. It was no surprise. We'd kept our secret for several years now. <Don't be afraid.> I said in thought-speak. My mother looked around, wondering who was talking to her. <It's me.> I said. "Rachel?" She reached out to touch the bear in front of her, her hand shaking as she did so. A knock on the door brought me back to the matter at hand.

Mom went to answer the door, but I stopped her. <You don't want to do that. Just get upstairs and I'll explain after, I promise.> She finally got it. She ran upstairs as a second knock sounded. The Yeerks were surprising me with their hospitality. Getting no answer, the front door blew off it's hinges. I entered the living room as three Hork-Bajir warriors stepped through. An Andalite stood at the door, but it wasn't Visser Three. That only left one possibility. Ax!

<It's easier if you don't fight, Rachel.> he said in my head. <Ax, you know me well enough to know that I'll never surrender.> He nodded. <We just want you. If you come willingly, we'll spare your family.> The Yeerk must have thought I was stupid. <Something tells me you're gonna infest them anyway, weather I come willingly or not.> Ax laughed. It wasn't a happy laugh. <Well, yeah. We can't have people who know what's going on running free.> His eyes made a weird Andalite smile. <One last chance, Rachel. I'd hate to have to destroy your lovely home.>

Again, the Yeerk surprised me. With all the resources the Yeerks had, they could afford to fix damage to a house. They certainly didn't care about collateral damage when it came to involuntary infestations. We had seen what they did to David's house. Heck, we'd barely escaped with our skins. Maybe they didn't want to create a scene because it was daylight. It didn't matter to me. <The only way you're getting my family is over my dead body!> I challenged. Ax nodded. <Very well, then. Try not to kill her. We want to perserve the host's body.>

With no further adue, the fight was on. The first Hork-Bajir attempted to slash me, but missed. With one well placed swipe, I put him down. The other two were smarter. They attacked at the same time. It was a situation I'd been in before. They tore at me like two weedwhackers on steroids. They got some cuts in, but not enough to stop me. I knocked one so hard, he flew through a wall. The other one pressed, but I swiped him in the head and he fell to the ground, bleeding and unconscious. <Is that the best you got?> I challenged Ax.

He seemed to know it would come to this. He entered the house and we faced off. I had to be wary of his tail. I'd seen both Ax and Visser Three in battle many times. I knew what an Andalite's tail was capable of. Fwap! He swung his tail low. It took a chunk out of my left leg, and I was forced back on all fours. I let the bear's instinct take over, and it had just been challenged. There could be only one response. I charged. Ax was taken by surprise. He tried to get me with his tail again, but missed. 'Forgive me, Ax' I thought.

I hit him with all the force of a mack truck. He went flying out the door, and landed in a heap in someone else's yard. Luckily, no one was home. I was sure, 'cause there were no spectators seeing the ruckus the fight had created. <Another time.> Ax said as he retreated. I was beginning to be delirious from the loss of blood. I had several serious wounds on my torso, and I could feel my insides trying to come out. <You can come out now, Mom.> I said as I demorphed.

My mother and sisters took in the damage downstairs. Sara pointed at one of the fallen Hork-Bajir. "What's that, Mommy?" she asked. My mother had no idea. I'd just finished demorphing as my sisters saw me. "Ask Rachel," she said. "That," I said, my voice weary, "is a Hork-Bajir." Jordan tried to protect her sister. She was aware that somehow, I'd stopped them. "We need to get out of here," I said to my mother.

"Right, but where will we go?" she asked. I racked my brain. The only place I could think of was also the one place we couldn't go under any circumstances. The free Hork-Bajir colony. It would be fine, If I didn't know for certain that by now the Yeerks probably knew exactly where it was. I climbed into the front seat of my mom's van. "Head for the forest," I instructed. "I'll explain everything on the way." This was gonna take a while. I'd kept so much of my life out of my mother's knowledge, that this had to be a lot to absorb. She nodded. "I look forward to hearing this."


	4. Explanations

**Ch.4 Explanations**

My mother and sisters were silent as I recounted everything that had happened since that night in the construction yard. Mom didn't believe it at first. She even wanted to call Jake's parents so that she could talk to Tom. I yanked the cell phone out of her hand before she could dial. "Mom, if you call them and start talking about Yeerks, you doom them. Tom will make hosts out of them immediately." She nodded. I had to give her credit. She'd had a lot to absorb in the past hour.

"So all those times you said you were spending the night at Cassie's, you were actually fighting aliens?" she asked. I shook my head. "No, Mom. I'd say ninety percent of the time we were fighting. We had an actual sleepover rarely." My mom nodded. She was taking it better than I expected. I was expecting to be grounded for the rest of my life. I might have been, if not for what just happened. But what Mom saw could not be ignored. My sisters hung on every word of my story. Sara thought it was exciting. She was too young to understand everything it entailed.

We pulled up to a place that I only hoped the Yeerks overlooked during their search for me. The abandoned logging camp from when they tried to cut the forest down looking for us seemed perfect. I was more worried about my family than myself. It was me they'd come after. "Nice outfit," my sister Jordan complimented. Our morphing outfits made us look like rejects from a foreign gymnastics team, as Marco once put it. One of the limitations about was morphing was that if you tried wearing anything that wasn't skin-tight, it would be shredded during the change.

"So how many animals can you change into?" Jordan asked. She thought it was awesome that I could become animals. I thought for a minute, and began counting on my fingers. I realized that wouldn't work. "Too many to count." She laughed. "Oh, it's not all fun and games," I said. "Sometimes morphing doesn't always go as planned." Sara got confused. "What does that mean?" she asked. I laughed. "This one time, I morphed a crocodile to save a girl who'd fallen in. It worked fine, except I'm allergic to crocodile." Jordan looked at me skeptically. "Allergic?" she asked. There was a slight hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"I couldn't control my morphs for a while. It almost cost us the war. And it didn't stop till I puked out a fully grown crocodile." My mother laughed. "I find that hard to believe," she said. I figured it would be a good idea to educate at least Jordan. We still had the morphing cube, which I would need to retrieve before the Yeerks did. I figured we could trust Jordan with the morphing power. Besides, Seerow's Kindness only applied to Andalites.

I noticed that most of the buildings were intact. "Look, I have some things I have to do." I pointed to a building. "Mom, can you and the girls hide in there? I'll be back with food and drink as soon as I can." My mother understood. "Don't leave, no matter what. The Yeerks are probably going to be combing this forest looking for us." My mom nodded. "How will we know when it's you?" Jordan asked. I smiled and replied, "I'll find my own way in." With that, I left. I had to retrieve the morphing cube before the Yeerks did. I only hoped I could get to Cassie's barn before my friends.

I morphed to seagull and took off. As I flew, I noticed a group of Hork-Bajir moving in a wide circle around the area. They weren't heading towards the camp, so I pretended to not notice them. They didn't appear to notice me either, and for that I was thankful. A seagull isn't exactly capable of fighting. It was another relief that I didn't see any of my friends leading the search party. It took me about fifteen minutes, but I finally reached Cassie's barn. Her parents didn't seem to be home, which made it easier for me to demorph.

I quickly retrieved the morphing cube, and just as I was about to fly away, I heard the familiar voices of my friends talking strategy. It infuriated me that the Yeerks were defiling our bat cave, for lack of a better word. But I also realized that I could stay a step ahead of them if I knew what they were planning. "Visser Three is getting impatient," I heard Jake say. "He wants the girl found," he continued. Cassie spoke up. "Maybe she's at the mall. You know Rachel, she can't resist a sale." Cassie knew me too well.

And as it happened, there was a pretty good sale at the mall. I would have been there, if recent happenings didn't interfere. Just another reason to take the Yeerks down, as far as I was concerned. Jake looked at Ax. "Did you find her family?" he asked. It made me sick to my stomach to hear the Yeerks use my friends like this. <No, Prince Jake. I went back to the house, but it was deserted.> Marco spoke up. "Do you think she took them to the free Hork-Bajir colony?" he asked. Cassie shook her head.

"No, Marco. She's not that stupid. She knows by now we have the position of the colony." Jake nodded. "As soon as we capture her, Visser Three has ordered us to lead the attack on the colony." That was at least partly good. As the last morph-capable human on Earth, I was the Yeerk's top priority. I'd heard enough. It was time to get back. Unfortunately, as I started to morph to seagull, I bumped the side of the wall. It was loud enough for my friends to detect my presence. They came running out of the barn just as I took off.

"After her, you fools!" Jake ordered. "She has the morphing device. If we let her escape with that, Visser Three will have our heads! Use your bird of prey morphs." I tried to get as much distance as I could. I didn't even look back. There was no way my seagull could out fly four birds of prey, especially Jake's. His was the fastest bird in the world: the peregrine falcon. My problems just got that much more difficult.


	5. Hunted

**Ch.5 Hunted  
**

My seagull muscles strained as I flew my heart out. It didn't help matters that the morphing cube was slowing me down. 3 pounds doesn't seem like much, till you're only about a foot tall. It felt like being weighed down by a fifty pound barbel. I didn't need to look back to know that my pursuers were rapidly gaining on me. <It doesn't have to be like this, Rachel!> Cassie taunted. I had no idea how I was gonna get out of this. There wouldn't be time for me to demorph to something that would do damage, and I couldn't lead them to Mom.

At the same time, I couldn't drop the morphing cube either. If the Yeerks got their hands on the morphing power, it might as well be the ball game for the entire universe. I couldn't let that happen. Tseer! I barely dodged as Jake attempted a dive. As a matter of fact, I shouldn't have been able to dodge. In a dive, the peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on earth, bar none. <Well played, Rachel.> he commented. <But it's over. Surrender now, and we will spare your family.>

I laughed. It was a grim laugh. <You're my family, Jake!> I fired back. <And fyi, Ax made the same offer at my house, only to admit that once you had me you were gonna infest them anyway.> The Yeerk seemed at a loss of how to respond. I could imagine he was privately chewing Ax out. I tried to fly low, under the tree cover. If I could evade them till sunset I'd be set. Then I could morph to great horned owl and get back to my family.

That was assuming my friends didn't use the very same morph to continue the chase. We all had it, well, except Tobias. I prayed he made it out, but it was far more likely that he was dead. I evaded an attack dive from Marco as I hit the tree line. <That was luck, Xena!> he said angrily. I laughed. <That was skill, Yeerk!> I refused to defile my friends by referring to the Yeerks with their names. I could hear flapping wings as my friends tried to find me. I could've demorphed to human, but I'd reveal myself, and they'd all pull their battle morphs.

This was not a fight I could win. I didn't even think my african elephant could take four on one. Not with Jake's tiger, Marco's gorilla, Cassie's wolf, plus Ax in his Andalite body. There wasn't a morph in our combined arsenal that could take those kind of odds. If only I'd been able to keep her dinosaur morphs from our little visit to the past. I was tempted, in light of my current situation, to morph to T-Rex and start laying the smackdown all over the Yeerks. But because that experience only happened because of an underwater nuclear explosion, the morphs I acquired were lost when I returned to the present.

I thought it was safe to take off, when I was struck by Cassie. Her's was a northern harrier. It was bad luck that she struck my right wing and crippled me. <She's wounded!> she called out. Jake's falcon began to advance toward me in a dive. This was the end. I was prepared for death. As Jake began his descent, I closed my eyes. Tseer! The sound was a bird of prey, but it wasn't Jake. I opened my eyes in time to see Tobias intercept him. He knocked Jake out of the air, and the others retreated.

<Oh my god, Tobias! I thought I'd never see you again!> Tobias stared at me with his fierce eyes. <Demorph.> he ordered. I realized I had to. He morphed to human as I demorphed. As soon as I had my body I pelted him with questions. "Were you hit? How did you escape? Where have you been?" He raised his hands, trying to calm me down. "Slow down, Rachel!" he yelled. "I was hit by a handgun," he began explaining.

"It wasn't easy. I heard your warning, but I couldn't leave without knowing you were safe. I saw a fly evade dracon beams, and I knew it had to be you." He paused, ever so briefly. "I couldn't fly but I was able to hobble to a sewer opening and morph." I backed away instictively. "Relax, it's cool," he said. "I tried to find you at your house, but by the time I got there it was trashed and your mom's van was driving away. I followed you guys to the forest but I lost track of you."

Words couldn't describe how great it felt to know that Tobias was safe. And more importantly, he was still in the game. Now it was four on two. Not good, but better than four on one. We had to get back to the logging camp. I hoped the Yeerks would think it was just some random hawk that attacked Jake. That would make it better for us. It was the same strategy we'd used when we thought David had killed Tobias. If the Yeerks still thought it was just me, they'd be sure to make mistakes. "Do you remember where the Yeerk's logging camp is?" I asked.

Tobias nodded. "Of course. I fly by every so often to make sure they haven't come back to it." I smiled. "It's our base camp," I said. He demorphed to hawk, and I morphed to bald eagle. There was still just enough sunlight for us to see. <Lead the way, Xena!> We took off.


	6. Bonds of Trust

**Ch.6 Bonds of Trust  
**

It was just getting dark as Tobias and I reached the logging compound. I demorphed and went to the building I remembered my family hiding in, Tobias riding my shoulder. "I'll go first," I said. <Fine by me.> Tobias replied. I focused my mind on the cockroach, and soon I could feel my body shrinking. Tobias wisely turned away. Two legs sprung from my torso. My human limbs converted to insect legs, and my head began to feel weird as antennae grew from it. Morphing. I'd been doing it for years, and I still wasn't used to it. It was a different experience every time.

<You can look now, Tobias.> He turned, glad he'd missed the show. <I hate insect morphs.> he replied. The feeling was mutual. I crawled under a crack it the front door. Luckily for me, my mom wasn't watching it. She has a deathly fear of roaches. Sara was the first to notice me as I demorphed. "Mommy, mommy, Rachel's back!" she exclaimed. My mother turned to see a half roach, half human girl staring back at her. "Oh my god," she said. "I just lost my appetite." As the transformation completed, I nodded. I remembered that I had been dumb enough to watch the first time one of us morphed cockroach. My lunch was quickly deposited on the ground.

Jordan came downstairs. I hadn't noticed that this building had two stories before. "Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked with a smile. I returned the smile and said, "Yes, and more." My mom looked at me skeptically. "Everybody, I have a friend I want you to meet." I opened the door, and Tobias flew in. "Look at the birdie," Sara said brightly.

"Mom, Sara, Jordan, this is Tobias. Tobias, this is Mom, Sara and Jordan." I introduced. "You're one of Rachel's friends?" my mom asked, confused. <Maybe this will explain.> Tobias replied. He began to morph to human. Soon, he was standing before us. My mom had a moment of recognition. "I remember, you came over one day three or four years ago looking for Rachel," she said. Tobias blushed. I was surprised. He never told me he'd met my mother. "You have some explaining to do later," I said darkly. He simply nodded.

"Why were you a bird before?" Jordan asked. I took this one. "There's one big limitation to morphing," I answered. "If you don't return to human form in two hours, you get trapped in morph. Tobias is what the Andalites call a nothlit." Tobias nodded his head. "The first time we went to the Yeerk pool, I was trapped. I went over the limit," he explained. "What's a Yeerk pool?" Jordan asked curiously. Shuddering at the memory, I answered, "A place you never want to see, trust me." We'd experienced too many nightmares from that place, including the one we were currently in.

I'd talked it over with Tobias as we flew, and he was a little skeptical. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. "This is a lot to put on a twelve year old's plate," he said. I realized that. Heck, I lived that. We were all around twelve and fourteen when we received our powers. But there was an advantage to what I was about to propose. "And have you thought of what might happen if she reacts the way David did?" An extremely good point. David had found the morphing cube. We attempted to retrieve it, and were forced into battle against Visser Three. The poor kid had lost his parents to the Yeerks. To say that he didn't handle it well would be an understatement.

We thought that giving David the morphing power would be a good thing. He had nowhere else to go. It was either that or let the Yeerks take him, and no one deserves that. He ended up turning on us, and after a terrifying game of cat and mouse, we trapped him in morph as a rat. We hadn't heard from him since. "I think we'll be able to avoid that," I replied. He'd dropped the subject.

"I have something important I need to talk to you about," I said to my middle sister. Mom was silent. She gave me a slight nod, signaling to go ahead. Jordan looked at me expectantly. "You know what's been going on, right?" She nodded. "What I'm about to ask you is completely up to you. Would you like to have the morphing power?" Her eyes beamed at the prospect. She'd get to morph into animals and fight aliens just like her big sister.

"I understand if you need to think about this," I continued. It was time to get serious. "Before you answer, you need to know that this isn't all fun and games. It's a huge responsibility. Luckily you have something I didn't," I said. Jordan looked at me funny. "What's that?" she asked. She could tell that this was a lot to ask of her. "A choice in the matter." She took this in, and so did mom, because she didn't speak for several minutes. "Rachel's right," she said finally. "This is entirely your choice. I don't like the idea of my daughters risking their lives, but we don't have the luxury of doing nothing." My mother had surprised me with her wisdom.

"I'll do it," she said. I brought out the morphing cube. "Touch this," I instructed. Jordan hesitantly put her hand on the box. I didn't know how it worked, but after a few seconds, it emitted the same light it had when I'd been on the receiving end. Jordan removed her hand. "That felt weird," she said. I nodded. I'd had the same thought. Tobias looked at me expectantly. "I hope you know what you're doing," he said. He morphed back to hawk, and took a place in the ceiling.

"Just promise me one thing," my mother said. "Promise me that she won't get hurt." I had thought about that. It was unavoidable. But I was going to train her for a long time before she'd ever see a battle. Another advantage she had that I didn't was that she had two of us to teach her the trade, so to speak. When we recieved our powers, there was no one to train us. We really had no idea what we were getting into.

"So I can morph now?" she asked. "How does it work?" I smiled. "Well, you touch the animal, and after a few seconds, you will acquire it. You kind of have to imagine the animal in your mind," I explained. She nodded. "And remember the two hour time limit." She looked at me. "I won't forget," she said. I realized more than anyone what she'd got into. "Let's sleep tonight, and tomorrow, you and I are going to The Gardens." "The wild animal park?" Sara questioned. "Yes, we need to get Jordan some morphs," I replied. I only hoped we could get in and out without a few dozen controllers catching us.


	7. Gearing Up

**Ch.7 Gearing Up**

It had been roughly six hours since we'd done it. My sister was an animorph now. She followed me outside the log cabin without hesitation. <You're clear.> Tobias called down. He was flying cover for us, and would let us know if anyone was coming. There were plenty of animals in the forest. The trick was catching one. We were looking for something like a rabbit, so that Jordan could get her first morph. It didn't take Tobias long to find one. <There's a rabbit about two feet to your left Rach.> he said.

I stopped moving, and found the rabbit next to my feet. It offered no resistance as I picked it up. "Aww, cute bunny!" my sister exclaimed. "So how do I?" she asked. I should clarify something. The morphing power doesn't make us acquire animals automatically. I still touch something normally. Acquiring an animal requires a bit of concentration. "Touch it," I instructed. "Now imagine yourself as the rabbit." My sister touched the rabbit and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, the animal seemed to fall asleep. Except it wasn't. That was the trance an animal goes into when it's being acquired.

It only took about a minute for Jordan to acquire the rabbit. I let it go, and it hopped away. "So I can turn into it now?" she asked. <Congratulations.> Tobias called down. She looked to the sky knowingly. "Thanks, Tobias," she replied. We went back to the cabin, where my mom was waiting. "How did it go?" she asked. My sister smiled as she replied, "I can turn into a rabbit now." My mother didn't know how to respond. "She needed a practice morph," I said. My mom nodded. "I wanna see," Sara said. Jordan was only too happy to oblige.

She began concentrating, and the first thing that happened was her head sprouted bunny ears. Her entire body began sprouting fur. As all of this was happy, she was shrinking. Her clothes ended up in a pile. I'd have to throw a morphing outfit together for her. <This is awesome!> she said. I smiled. "Isn't it?" I asked. <Wait, you heard that?> she asked. I remembered that thought-speak was a little hard to get used to. I wondered how she'd deal with the rabbit's instincts. That was always different. You never knew how a specific animal's instincts would react.

"Ok, demorph," I instructed. <I'll be hunting.> Tobias said. With that, he flew out the window. I sensed part of it was out of modesty. He knew that when Jordan demorphed she'd be naked. A few minutes later, and my sister was just putting her clothes back on. "That was too cool," she said happily. I decided we'd wait until nightfall to go to The Gardens. We didn't have Cassie's backstage access, and it would be too suspicious trying to jump into cages in broad daylight. Not to mention stupid. Tobias returned about a half hour later with a freshly caught mouse. I noticed him eating outside.

<Wanna talk about it?> he asked. If there was one thing that could be said about Tobias, he knew me inside and out. I had went outside to get some fresh air, and I really needed to think. "I just keep thinking that I'll wake in my bed, and this will all just be a very bad dream," I replied. He showed no emotion on his hawk face, but I could tell he agreed. <We'll find a way to fix this. We always do.> I wasn't so sure this time. We'd barely managed to keep Jake contained for three days after he'd been infested by a Yeerk.

"I don't know. How are we gonna keep four morph capable beings restrained for three days each while their Yeerks die?" I asked. I made no attempt to hide the frustration in my voice. <We did it with Jake.> he said sadly. I nodded. "Yeah, but it took all five of us. Five to stop one." <We'll find a way.> I could tell from his tone, that he wasn't so sure either. "You have no idea what it felt like to watch that. They took Cassie first." Tobias bobbed his head ever so slightly. <I watched it too, remember.> I would never forget the look of fear on her face as she was forced under.

<I felt the same way with Ax.> Tobias replied. "And now, my sister is involved, and I don't even know how I'm gonna protect her." I could feel fresh tears rolling down my cheeks. He finished his mouse and flew off the roof. He began morphing to human as soon as he landed. As soon as he finished, he pulled me close in a hug. "Look Rachel, I don't know how, but we will make it through this. We will find a way to rescue the others, even if we have to be constantly on the run." It was easy for him to say, he'd been a hawk for so long. He wasn't even looked for when he went missing.

I dropped the conversation and went back into the house. He followed, but didn't say anything further. He knew I needed to be left alone for a while. The time passed quickly enough, and soon it was time to go to the city. It took a while, because we had to walk. We figured it would be best if Mom stayed back with Sara. As the locked gates of The Gardens came into view, Jordan tugged my shoulder. "How are we going to get in?" she asked.

"Easy," I answered. "Remember your rabbit morph?" I asked. She nodded. "Use it." <It's now or never.> Tobias called from above. We hadn't spoken since that afternoon. As she went to rabbit, I focused on the rat that was in my bloodstream. Within seconds, we were in. I managed to put together an outfit so that Jordan wouldn't be naked. Tobias had it easiest. He simply flew over the fence. He landed and morphed human to join us.

"I figure we'll get her a battle morph and a bird of prey morph," Tobias said. I also thought she could use some insect morphs, but time was of the essence. The less time we spent here, the less likely it was that we'd be captured. "See anything you like?" I asked as we found a map. Tobias was watching for security guards. She studied the map for a second and then pointed.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked. We were inside the lion pen. The Gardens had one male lion. He was asleep at the moment. "Ok," I said in a whisper. "Touch him. Remember to imagine becoming him." Jordan nodded. I focused my mind on the grizzly bear. "What are you doing?" Tobias demanded. "I'm making sure I can protect her," I answered back. Jordan shook her head. "I've got him." She acquired the lion and we got out of there. "That was fun," she said. My jaw dropped. "We've got company," Tobias announced.

My friends came walking out of the darkness. "Well well, what have we here?" Jake asked. The battle lines were drawn.


	8. Revelations

**Ch.8 Revelations**

_Well, well, what have we here?"_ I was so scared I couldn't breathe. My friends looked us over. The anticipation of a coming battle was in the air. Jake wasted no time. "Comrades, battle morphs," he said. There was an air of superiority in the Yeerk's voice. We watched fearfully as he made the transformation from human to siberian tiger. At the same time, Cassie and Marco went to wolf and gorilla respectively. Ax was the only one who didn't morph. He was dangerous enough in his natural body.

"What do we do?" Tobias hissed. There was a sense of urgency in his voice I'd never heard before. I stared ahead. "What do you think we do?" I asked. It was a rhetorical question. "Battle morphs," I ordered. "One problem," Tobias said. I realized what it was. Tobias would have to demorph. He would be a sitting duck in his hawk body. I began focusing on the grizzly bear inside of me. "I'll cover you," I said before I lost my voicebox. My sister began morphing to lion beside me.

I thought they'd rush us as Tobias turned back into a hawk. To my surprise, no one on either side made a move. <What are you waiting for?> I asked as Jake stared directly at me. He thought it over. <Just this very moment.> he replied. I thought he'd been referring to the upcoming battle. Cassie explained. <You have nothing to fear. My name is Tekra786.> I wasn't interested in introductions. A Yeerk was a Yeerk to me. <Why do I care what your names are?> I asked angrily. The wolf that was Cassie stared back at me with an equally emotionless face.

<For your information, you don't have any idea how fortunate you are. All of us are with the Yeerk Peace Movement.> If Tobias had been human, he would have smiled. I echoed the sentiment. <Wait a minute, the battle at my house, all the mind games?> Ax cut me off. <Were all a cleverly arranged act.> he said. I could have hugged the Andalite right then. <This is all well and good, but what about Visser Three?> Tobias asked. <That's part of the problem.> Jake took over explanations. <We've been stringing him along up to this point, and to keep it up, we're gonna have to fight.>

I admit at first, I hated the idea of the Yeerk Peace Movement. Mostly it was that Cassie had put all of us in jeopardy to start it. She revealed herself to a human controller named Karen. Then the two of them got lost in the woods. I realized now that if it ever was a good thing that it had been created it was now. <We'll relinquish control of our hosts.> Tekra said. For the first time since this began, my friends spoke as themselves, not the Yeerks who controlled them. Marco was first. <I feel I have to apologize, Xena.> he began.

<I hate that I had to say the things I said about you in that alley. I hate even more that I even implied that the Yeerks would take your family. But it was necessary.> I wished I could hug all of them. <No apology is needed.> I said. Jake cut in. <We need to make this look as real as possible. I suggest we try to not use claws or biting as much as possible.> he said. It felt good to hear the leader in him. He noticed Jordan right then. <Nice choice of battle morphs.> he complimented. More than any of us, Jake knew the advantages to having a lion morph.

He'd fought David in his tiger, and had been badly defeated. That mane made it all but impossible to inflict serious wounds. Tobias had morphed Hork-Bajir so that he could contribute. <I'll take Marco.> he said. I could almost hear Marco laugh. <I'll take that challenge, Bird-Boy!> he replied. With no further adue, the fight was on. Cassie went after my sister, and they began exchanging blows. Tobias rushed Marco, only to be thrown like a rag doll. That left me against Jake and Ax. I stood on my hind legs, looking as intimidating as possible.

Ax swung his tail. He aimed to use the side, and he hit me in a glancing blow that the bear didn't even register. I swung one paw and knocked him into next week. I hit with a backhand, because I couldn't retract my claws. Jake pounced. His tiger had the weight an power to knock me off my feet. He began lightly biting no vital areas. As we scuffled, we talked. <I'm so glad you're alright.> he said as he struck my chest with a paw. Even without claws, it still hurt. <So what about the Free Hork-Bajir colony?> I asked.

Now that I knew the truth, I was quite certain that Jake wouldn't destroy it. <We gave the Yeerks false coordinates.> He explained. I pushed him off of me and got back to all fours. <So what are we gonna do?> I asked. I heard Jake sigh. <I don't know. We're hoping to lure Visser Three there so we can finish him.> I liked the idea. <What's the problem?> I asked. I wanted to assist any way I could.

<Well first of all, Visser Three wants you captured alive. He wants the six of us to lead the attack, and he won't proceed any other way.> Jake said. I noticed Tobias coming out on top against Marco. What was of note was the fact that he wasn't using the blades the Hork-Bajir were famous for. <I won't be infested.> I said. I didn't care if it was a Yeerk in the peace movement. <It's too risky.> Jake replied. <It was blind luck that we didn't get shall we say, more willing Yeerks.> he said.

So he was vetoing me being infested. I was glad for that, cause I'd never let it happen. <Assuming we brought you in as ordered, it's too easy for you to not get a Yeerk in the peace movement, then everything would be for nothing.> I agreed. <So what are we gonna do?> I asked. <I have a special request for you.> Jake said. I would take any assignment he gave me. <Name it.> I said.

<Do you know where Eric King of the Chee lives?> he asked. I nodded. It was one of the only human things I could do in this morph. <I've been there once with Marco.> I said. <Get in touch with him if you can.> Jake instructed. <The place we told the Yeerks about is roughly fifty miles south of the actual colony.> he said. I understood what he needed. This was going to be quite a show. He needed decoys. With their holograms, the Chee could project almost anything.

Our conversation was cut off by a scream of pain. Jordan! Visser Three had made his way to the battlefield. He struck her from behind with his tail, severing a leg. Having no other choice, Ax put his tail blade to her throat. <How interesting.> the Visser commented. There was a noticeable cruelty in his voice. <Another morph-capable human. Why, this might make me the head of the Council of Thirteen.> I wanted to charge him.

<Ah ah ah!> he warned. He seemed to read my mind. <I would hate to kill her.> he said with a laugh. <What do you want?> I questioned angrily. He laughed again. <I think I have quite the bargaining chip here.> he said. <I'll make you a deal. You for her.> I exploded. <How do I know you won't infest her anyway?> I yelled. The Visser seemed hurt. <Are you implying that I'm not a Yeerk of my word?> he asked in mock sadness. <The truth is, you don't.> He let it sink in for a brief moment.

<Why don't I make this simple. I will keep her for twenty-four hours. You have exactly that long to go to the Yeerk Pool and turn yourself in.> I fought rage. <If at the end of that time, you don't show, I will infest her. And it will be your fault. Tick tock!> he mocked. Tobias had been knocked unconscious by Marco. He was coming to as the Yeerks pulled out, taking my sister with them. <What just happened?> he asked.


	9. Rachel to the Rescue

**Ch.9 Rachel To The Rescue**

_"I will keep her for twenty-four hours. You have exactly that long to go to the Yeerk Pool and turn yourself in."_ The conversation I'd just had with Visser Three rang in my head like a death knell. How could things go so wrong? Tobias stood carefully, then demorphed. <What happened?> he asked softly. He was well aware the mood I was in at that moment. I shook my head. "I don't know. I didn't even see Visser Three till he attacked." Tobias seemed to nod. "Did you see him?" I asked angrily. <No, all I remember was being slammed on the ground by Marco. He knocked me out.>

Tobias thought for a second. <He took Jordan, didn't he?> It wasn't so much a question as a statement. Now that he'd returned to consciousness, he realized someone was missing. The look in my eyes all but confirmed it. "He said that I have twenty-four hours to give myself up, or he'll infest her." I kicked a rock in anger. <We'll find a way out of this.> he said. I shook my head no. "How?" I asked. "Face it, the Yeerks might as well have me. I won't sacrifice her freedom for mine!" Tobias seemed to rack his brain. For about five minutes neither of us spoke.

<Well, we both know he's gonna infest her anyway.> Way to state the obvious. "You think I don't know that?" I raged. <Look, let's just head back to the logging camp, ok? We'll figure out our next move from there.> So we did. We flew in silence. I savored the quiet. I had no idea how I was gonna tell mom that one way or another, she was going to lose a daughter. Assuming the Visser kept his word, he'd still get me in her place. I racked my brain, trying to come up with a solution that didn't involve one or both of us becoming controllers.

My mother took the news better than expected. Luckily, my youngest sister was asleep. "I have faith in you, Rachel," she said. She was trying to calm me down. "You're gonna have to leave here with Sara," I said. There was an air of determination in my voice. "Why?" my mother questioned. "Because," I answered. "When they infest me, they'll have access to all my memories." Tobias had morphed human. "She's right," he said. I could hear the disappointment in his voice. "We can't trust Visser Three. Most likely, he's already infested Jordan. We won't have any way to know otherwise."

As Tobias explained the Yeerk life cycle to my mom, a lightbulb went off in my head. And oddly enough, I had Jake to thank for it. "Tobias, I have a plan," I said. I drug him upstairs to tell him the details, leaving my mom confused in our wake. I explained my plan to Tobias with great relish. As I finished, he smiled. "So what do you think?" I asked. He laughed. "I think it's brilliant. I'll make the arrangements tomorrow morning. For now, get some rest, cause you're gonna need it." It was relieving to know that I could do something right for a change.

I steeled myself for what was to come. There was no way out of this. My freedom, for my sister's. I knew what was expected of me. I went to the best place I knew. Assistant Principal Chapman's office. I knew that by now, he knew what I was. I didn't even knock. I just burst right in. "Ahh, Rachel, I've been expecting you." Visser Three must have known I'd come here. "What guarantee do I have that the Visser hasn't taken my sister?" I asked. I practically spit the words out. Chapman laughed at me. "Little girl, surely you don't think the Visser would harm his bargaining chip?"

I glared at him in response. "I want my sister first," I demanded. "Or no deal." He nodded. "I have to check with him first," he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled something that looked to me like a makeup compact. Only it wasn't. He pressed a button on it, and Visser Three's holographic projection came forth. <This had better be good, Chapman. If that girl isn't here, it's your head.> the Visser threatened.

He turned it to me. "I'm here, Yeerk!" I yelled. "Now release my sister!" I couldn't believe what I was doing. Tobias was right, this was crazy. The Visser laughed. <The girl will be released when you are in the Yeerk Pool and not a moment sooner!> He paused. <Or shall I infest her now?> That pretty much concluded negotiations. "Ok, you win," I said. I'd never felt so defeated in my life. "I'm coming," I said sadly. <Good.> he said. <And when she gets here, we'll infest her sister first!>

I wasn't meant to hear that. The Visser must have forgotten to use private thoughtspeech. Chapman hit a button under his desk, and the book case revolved to reveal a stair way. <Is everyone ready?>" I asked. <We're all set, Rach. I can see Jordan. They haven't infested her yet.> Tobias replied. <It's now or never!> I nodded. It was time to make it official.

<Let's do it!>


	10. Battle in the Yeerk Pool

**Ch.10 Battle in the Yeerk Pool**

_< We're all set, Rach.>_ Actually, Tobias was all set. I had yet to get in position. <You're doing great, Erek.> I said. He couldn't answer, but I knew he understood. I was inside his hologram in my Grizzly form. He projected the extra form as the surroundings. I was ready to do some damage, especially since I knew for sure Visser Three was lying. I could barely see through the hologram of Erek, but just enough. Jordan was being held on an infestation pier. Two Hork-Bajir held blades to her throat. Surrounding the pool were my friends. No doubt the sight was tearing them apart inside, but they had to maintain character.

Visser Three laughed as Erek revealed himself. "Release my sister!" he commanded in a picture perfect imitation of my voice. <Dear girl, what made you think I'd release her?> He turned to the Hork-Bajir. <Infest the younger one first!> He ordered. <I want the last bit of freedom you have to be spent watching her be taken!> I saw my friends give Erek a knowing look. It was if they knew it wasn't me. They were in human form so they couldn't use thought-speak. But I could. <Guys, it's about to hit the fan. Are you in?>

They each nodded. <We are ready, Rachel.> Ax gave me an Andalite smile. Tseer! Quickly and without warning, Tobias struck the Visser's eye stalks. He was so concerned with me that he wasn't paying attention to anything else. <ARRGH!> the Visser screamed. As he stumbled blindly, I stepped out of Erek's hologram. Erek changed to the surroundings at the same time to conceal himself. It worked perfectly. <Holographic technology. Impressive!> I knew better than to think it was a compliment. As we made eye contact, my friends began morphing.

The Hork-Bajir holding my sister didn't know what hit them. Tobias got one with another pass, and the other found himself being used as a throw toy by Marco. <Good to have you back, Xena!> he said happily. I hit a taxxon who'd charged me with a paw. <Good to be back!> I said. Jake and Cassie were busy taking a pair of Hork-Bajir in the corner. I saw Ax swinging his tail left and right, like a salad shooter. Anyone in his path was quickly cut down. In all the excitement, everyone forgot about Visser Three. <Traitors!> he yelled. <I have a special morph to deal with the likes of you.>

As I watched in horror, his entire body turned green. He began growing. In no time he was at least a story tall. He grew clawed limbs, and a mouth full of needle sharp teeth. The most defining feature was that his belly had three holes, from which spiked protrusions sat. <I have waited to see what this morph can do.> he gloated. <You will all be destroyed by-> The Visser was screamed in pain. <Do you ever shut up?> Jordan asked. She had morphed to lion during the commotion. <Very well then!> the Visser said. A split second later and Jordan went flying.

<He has a tail!> she exclaimed. She landed in a heap. From what I could tell, you didn't want to be on the business end of that tail. She was bleeding in several places. I charged. <Oooh, a direct challenge!> he said. One of the spiked belly things launched itself in my direction. There was no way to avoid it. It knocked me back about fifty feet through a concrete wall. <Holy crap!> I said. <His belly's tough too!> As Tobias flew, trying to find an opening, the Visser launched his claws at him. They seemed to spiral in the air. <I can't get close enough to get his eyes!> Tobias said.

I managed to get myself up, my forelimbs dripping blood. I saw Jake swipe at him, only to have no effect. His claws couldn't penetrate the Visser's scaly hide. Ax was keeping the Hork-Bajir busy. <Surely you can do better?> the Visser mocked. I looked at the piece of his body that was still attached to me. <Marco, get over here!> I yelled. He dodged claw blades and another belly shot to get to me.

<What do you need, Xena?> he asked. I gritted in pain. <Two things. First, pull this out.> He grabbed and pulled with all his might. It hurt like hell, but eventually he pulled the thing out. <We're getting destroyed.> he said angrily. I saw Jordan rush him again, only to get knocked to the side. <We can't penetrate his skin.> I observed. Marco still held the piece of his body in his hands. <Do you think you could?> I didn't have to finish the question. <Cover me!> he said.

As Marco hefted the spiked protrusion, I made another attack charge. <Jake, Cassie, everybody attack him at once!> Ax jumped on one of his belly spikes, trying to use it to get to his head. The Visser swiped at him, and almost took his head off. <That was too close!> he said. he swung his tail, and carved a nice slash into the Visser's chest. To our dismay, there was no wound.

Our distraction was working. He fired a spike at me, but missed, and I hit him full force. It seemed to knock him off balance. As he stumbled, Marco jammed him in the side with his own body part. Green blood flowed. <I knew it!> I yelled. The Visser screamed in the first real pain since he'd morphed. <We have to cover Marco!> Jake said. It was nice to see him in leader-mode. The Visser launched another spike at Cassie, who barely avoided it. Her wolf wouldn't take one of them. Heck, my grizzly barely took one.

Marco ripped it out of the wall and took aim. Tseer! Tobias screamed. He managed to strike one of the Visser's eyes. <ARGGH!> the Visser yelled. At the same time, Marco threw the spike and caught him in the throat. It was a mortal wound. <Everybody out!> Jake ordered. The Visser began demorphing as we hit the exit. <You will pay for this!> He yelled after us. <No matter where you go, I'll find you!> I noticed a support beam. I ran into it with all the force I could muster.

It hurt like hell, but I accomplished my goal. I knocked it right out. <Cave in!> Cassie yelled. We wasted no time getting out. The school began collapsing as we made our exit. I could still hear the Visser screaming as I made it out. We all began demorphing. Jake smiled as he returned to human form. "Using Erek to double as you was genius!" he said. As we finished, Erek revealed himself. "Happy to help," he said. We had to resolve the issue of the Yeerks.

Cassie had the perfect solution. We used the morphing cube to give them the power to morph, and Cassie gave them their selection of morphs. It was a tearful goodbye in the two hours it took them to become nothlits. "Good luck, Tekra," I said. Cassie's Yeerk had chosen an owl. <I'll never forget you!> she said in return. I realized however, that I was probably responsible for several hundred innocent people dying. "Were there holding cells where we where fighting?" I asked. Ax gave me one of those Andalite smiles.

<Not to worry, Rachel. There weren't any where we were.> I breathed a sigh of relief. "Is it over?" Marco asked. Ax shook his head. <No, the Yeerk Pool is too large. We only caved in a small part of it.> Jake smiled wearily. "I'm happy just knowing we put a huge dent in their invasion," he said. It was true. Not only would it take several months to repair the damage, but there was the possibility that Visser Three had been killed. "Hey," Cassie said. "You did great, Jordan." My sister smiled.

"It's official, you're one of us now," Marco added. He then got a good look at her. "Is there any chance you'll go out with me?" he asked, smiling crookedly. I gave him a death glare. "Marco, if you try to date my sister, I will kill you!" He looked right at me. "I know," he said with a laugh. I looked at the destruction we'd caused. "I say we party!" I said happily. We headed back to the logging camp, glad to have won one of the largest battles we'd ever fought.

**The End  
**


End file.
